Fifth-wheel



(No Model.)

D. WILGOX. FIFTH WHEEL.

No. 603,070. Patented Apr. 26, 1808.

UNITED STATES PATENT Euren@ DARIUS VILCOX, OF MECHANICSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA.

FIFTH-WHEEL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters :Patent No. 603,070, dated April 26, 1898.

Application led July 9, 1897. Serial No. 644,000. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, DARIUS `lLcoX, a citizen of the United States, residing at Mechanicsburg, in the county of Cumberland and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain neuT and useful Improvements in FifthlVheels and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as Willenable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The invention relates to turn-short fifth- Wheels; and it consists of .certain details of structure which will be fully hereinafter explained.

The objects of the invention are to so construct a Wheel that it will be very strong, compact, and substantial, with the minimum amount of material, and that enables a vehicie to be turned easily and in a very short space and enables the body thereof to be set lour down and not strike the reach.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, Figure l is a perspective view of the wheel applied to the axlebed and head-block. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal central section.

Like letters indicate corresponding parts in both views.

A is the head-block, which is of any usual or desired form.

B is the axle-bed, and C is the reach.

D is the bottom Wheel or half-circle, and E is the tcp Wheel or circle.

The head-block Ais provided on the under side with the usual head-block iron, and the springs and body of the vehicle are secured to the head-block in the customary manner, and the construction is such that the body with this Wheel is set lour down.

F is the reach-iron on the under side of the reach, and it extends forward to and underneath the head-block A, and it is provided with a frusto-conical boss or projection f, depending therei'rom and which iits into the socket or aperture through the double brace, as will be presently described.

Gr is the double brace, and it extends from the under side of the reach C toward its front end to the axle-bed B and is secured thereto reach and double brace is bolted to the reach by bolts h h h', and the reach-iron F and foot or brace H have pivoted bearings on the bolt h, which passes through the reach, reachiron, double brace, and foot or brace I-I, as Well shown in Fig. 2. The double brace F has inverted frusto-conical bearings which correspond With the truste-conical depending cone f on the reach-iron and the upwardlyprojecting truste-conical boss or bearing-f' on the foot or brace H, and balls may be used between the cones just described, thus furnishing ball-bearings on which the Wheel may easily turn. Instead of having the frustoconical bosses and the reach-iron and the brace or foot H, these cones may be on the double brace, and corresponding bearings be provided in the reach-iron and the brace or foot H, which would be simply a reversal of the construction, as will be readily apparent.

The under Wheel or half-circle I) has helical braces d on its inner ends, which extend for- Ward to the rear of the axle-bed and are secured thereto by bolts passed through the same or by clips or in any other suitable manner.

The top Wheel E is circular in front and approximately heart-shaped in the rear, and the free ends of the same are bolted to the reach at each side, as shown at a o.

Embracing both Wheels in front is a yoke which straddles the lower members D E of the Wheel, audit has a spring on the under side forming an antirattling device, as in patent of D. Wilcox, dated July 17, 1894, No. 523,252.

The balls in the races formed by the cones in the socket or aperture through the center of the double brace and on the reach-iron F and foot or brace H enable the Wheel to be turned very easily; but it will be apparent that it would operate Well Without the use of balls. By means of the bolt h and the nut thereon the Wear is easily and conveniently taken up without disassembling the parts.

It Will be noticed that the foot or brace I-I is extended forward and secured to the reach at that point by the front bolt 72.', and this construction does away with the center bolt h", if preferred and makes a very strong construction. It Will also be seen that the lower wheel is held to the axle-bed not only by vertical bolts, but also by bolts transversely of IOO the axle-bed, which secure the helical braces on the end of the wheel firmly thereto.

Minor changes in the details of the structure may be made within the scope of the invention Without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages thereof.

Having thus fully described the invention, so that any person familiar with the art may make, construct, and use the same, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is- Y Y l. In fifth-wheels, the lower half-circle provided with helical braces at its ends, secured to the axle-bed by transverse boltsV in addition to the usual vertical fastenings, substan- Y tially as set forth.

2. In fifth-Wheels, the lower half-circle provided with helical braces at its ends, securedV to the axle-bed by transverse bolts, in addition to the usual vertical fastenings, and the top circle or wheel formed approximately heart-shaped in the rear, and having its free ends bolted to the reach at each side thereof, substantially as set forth.

3. Inifth-wheels, the reach-iron provided with a frusto-conical, depending boss and a lower curved brace or footfwith an upwardlyprojecting frusto-conical boss, in combination with a double brace, arranged between the reach-iron and foot and provided with correspondin g cone-recesses, havin g its arms down-V wardl3T bent, and secured to the axle-bed, by

. means of clips, substantially as set forth.

4. In fifth-Wheels, the reach-iron provided with a frusto-conical depending boss, and a lowercurved brace or foot, extending forward toward the rear of the axle-bed, secured toV the reach in front, and provided wit-h a double brace arranged between the reach-iron and foot or lower brace, and furnished with coneseats, the two arms of said double brace secured to the axle-bed, and a bolt, forming a pivot and taking up the wear, passedthrou gh the reach, reach-iron, double brace and foot and having an adjusting-n ut on its lower end, substantially as set forth.

5. In a fifth-Wheel, the reach-iron provided with a frusto-conical, depending boss, and a lower curved brace or foot with an upwardlyprojecting frusto-conioal boss, in combination withy a double brace, arranged between the reach-iron and foot and provided with cone-V seats, balls in the races formed by the cones and recesses and having its two ends secured to the axle-bed by means of clips', substantially as set forth.

6. A fifth-wheel having its lowerhalf-circle with forwardly-curved braces at its ends, secured toV the rear of the axle-bed by transverse bolts, a top circle, approximately heartshaped in the rear, and with its free ends secured on Veach side of the reach, a yoke or clip connecting the two members of the Wheel in front,a reach-iron with a depending, frustoconicalY boss; a lowerY brace or foot with an upwardly-projecting frusto-conical boss and a double brace With cone-recesses to fit the bosses on the reach-iron and lower brace or foot, said double brace havin g'its two downwardly-curved arms secured by clips to the axle-bed, substantially as set forth.

, In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

DARIUS WILOOX.

Vitnesses:

W. H. EBERLY, H. I-I. MERCER. 

